Getting to Know Silver Dollar Room (Interview – Written)

Silver Dollar Room are braced to release their new album, ‘It Can’t Rain All The Time’, on Friday 12th September. The engulfing alt-rockers have also revealed their evocative new single and video, ‘Monsters’, out now. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.

1. Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

The band was founded in 2023 by guitarist/producer Jamie and drummer Douglas. We originally envisioned it as a studio project, but it expanded in 2024, bringing in the talents of John on vocals, Lisa Aird on bass and Dan Covin on rhythm guitar. Over time, the lineup has evolved, with Jen Bain replacing Dan on rhythm guitar, and Ryan Shearer taking over bass duties from Lisa.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

A wall of layered sound pierced by the emotional and haunting vocal hooks! We feel our music fuses the raw, introspective edge of the 90’s era alternative rock movement with the melodic, hook-driven sensibilities of Britpop.

3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?

We’re getting ready to release our 2nd album, ‘It Can’t Rain All the Time’, on Friday 12th September, very exciting! plus releasing our new single and video, ‘Monsters’, on Friday 4th July. In the lead up to the album dropping we will be releasing the 3rd single from the album and supporting the release with a series of live shows. We also have other exciting news that will be announced over the coming months!

4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?

The album and singles releases feel like a culmination of our creative efforts and the start of a new chapter. We feel the songs on the new record really tell a story exploring themes such as male suicide, destructive relationships, class divide, addiction, poverty, wealth and greed. The fact we’ll be bringing this record to a new audience is hugely exciting and it will be interesting to see how it’s received. Hopefully a milestone in our journey as a band.

5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.

It was during the process of writing and recording this album that the band truly came together. The writing sessions were no longer just individual ideas stitched together; we sat in a room, worked through ideas and crafted the songs organically. After recording the album demos, we felt that we had a body of work to be proud of. It’s hugely important to us not only as a band but as individuals as well.

6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?

It provides an outlet for emotional expression that you find hard to find in other things, whether it’s joy, sadness, anger or hope, all these things are channelled into the creative process. With all the difficult things you see and experience in this life, writing and recording serves as a therapeutic tool and offers an outlet and hope. Emotional expression and connection with others go a long way in creating positivity and optimism.

7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?

The feeling of having to manage everything independently. With so much content now being online it can feel daunting trying to stand out from the crowd and make your mark. Also, the lack of label backing means everything is self-funded and the likelihood of making any many back due to low streaming revenue is a harsh reality in getting your music out there. We’ve had great support from our management company, Reaction Management, keeping us right and enabling us to get our music out there and we are very lucky to have the guidance of SAN PR for our upcoming releases.

8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?

It has been difficult to be honest! In the beginning having a lack of a clear strategy and inconsistent posting resulted in low engagement and the feeling we were not connecting with fans. Getting the balance between quality content, managing multiple platforms and agreeing how the accounts should be run was a hard balance to find. We now have a clear strategy and are looking at more audience-focused content, limiting the platforms we use and learning from previous mistakes that have been made. Please like and subscribe!

9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?

Treating it more as fun and less as a chore. Learning new skills with regards to video editing and content creation and investigating how our favourite artists engage on social media. Seeing it grow is exciting and shows the strategy is working.

10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?

Give the new singles and album a listen. Lyrically it’s a very powerful record, a statement on modern-day life and how the echoes of our past shape our present. Musically it’s layered with poignant intensity, heavy textures and cinematic dynamics. Come and see us live if you get the opportunity as well.

11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?

Competitive weightlifting, ultra running, producing, cycling, boxing, hiking, session musician work, yoga, watching movies, listening to music, supporting our loved ones to name but a few!

12. Where can people find you?

LinkTree | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube